Right Back At You
by Wings Of Sanguine
Summary: Deadpool has acquired cancer again, and he is told the only way to cure it is to steal Captain America's shield. Of course, Loki wants to use the shield for his own nefarious purpsoeses... (DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DEADPOOL OR THE AVENGERS)
1. Chapter 1

Wade Wilson hid in the shadows, garbed in the costume that dubbed him Deadpool, red and black with a set of katanas and an arsenal of guns strapped to his body, craftily hidden from view. Carefully, he watched as the heroes- those so called "Avengers" as the public had named them- were huddled around a table, not doing anything very…. heroic, if that was the correct term to use. In fact, it looked as if they were planning some sort of extravaganza instead of plotting to kill evil villains. At this thought he chuckled to himself- Wade Wilson- or Deadpool, as he was usually called- was considered something of a double agent: good, yet bad. Yin and Yang. And he liked it that way. That way, no one knew his true motives, no one knew what he was ever up to because they never knew which side he was ever truly on.

Watching them, he noticed the big one-_ Thor, I think_, he thought- pick up his head look around. Wade Wilson drew himself closer to the wall, deeper into the shadows. He didn't want them to know he was there. Immediately, he clapped a hand over his mouth, trying his best not to blurt out some random statement like he always did. even if he was a deadly mercenary, trained by Nick Fury himself, which was not a fact known by these wannabe superheroes, he often gave himself away by talking too much.

He heard Thor's voices travel through the air, "I feel as if we are being watched." He froze- _does he know I'm here? _

"You must be mistaken," he heard Tony say nonchalantly, "Jarvis has the tower set up so no one ca get in. Period. We're safe." Again, Wade let a small chuck slip through- Tony didn't know how badly he had damaged the security system. The lasers had been cut off the wires and he overrode the security breach by pressing a bunch of buttons, meanwhile having no idea hat those buttons actually did. Once he chuckled though, he knew it was a mistake. Tony got up from his chair, the legs scraping the floor as he push fit back, "Actually, Thor, you might be right…" Since he had decided to push himself deeper into the darkness of the shadows, he didn't noticed that Tony had went to the closet and grabbed a baseball bat and approached his hiding spot. Before Tony swung the bat down, Wade already had a katana ready, poised for action.

"Is anyone there?" Tony said cautiously, waving the bat experimentally. Wade flinched as he heard it smack the wall a few inches above his head. Shaking, unable to hold it in any longer, he blurted out:

"Yeah! Your mom!" With a flick of his wrist, he sliced the baseball bat, rendering it useless as he jumped out of the shadows, backflipping over Tony's head, landing on both feet in a defensive crouch. He heard a woman's cry of alarm as the others then scrambled to arm themselves, although it was obviously too late. In a blur of red and black, Wade already disarmed Captain America, pinning him to the wall with a net, along with Bruce Banner, better known as Hulk.

A loud yell of frustration signified someone was attacking- or two people. It was hard for him to tell, since so much was going on in such a small amount of time. Just to be safe, he jumped, hearing the satisfying sound of two people crashing into each other.

"Hey Stark!" he heard Captain America yell as he squirmed under the net, eyeing Banner warily as he growled.

"Claustrophobic, are we?" Deadpool teased, pulling out another katana, "I guess I can fix that, ha ha!" In a flash of silver, he sliced away the net, calming Bruce down- for now. He really didn't like being snuck up on. Before Captain America and Banner could see anything more, he darted away, nimbly avoided a shrunken the Black Widow had thrown at his feet to try and catch him off guard. At the same time, he spun his katanas in his hands, blocking blows from Thor's magical hammer.

"I heard your hammer was magical- I guess the rumors were false!" laughed Deadpool from some part of the room. Thor whipped his head around, swinging his hammer, a strong wind picking up.

"Show yourself, coward!" Thor shouted, even thigh the only people he could see were his teammates.

"Me? A coward?" teased a voice, "you must be confusing me with the guy who hides behind a mask of metal!" Spinning around, Thor raised his hammer, ready to strike, only to find no one there- Wade had indeed been behind him, but jumped up to hide on the ceiling before he was hit (if you could really call it hiding. He was just hanging there, waiting for one of them to notice him. After all, they already heard him, so it wouldn't be long until they actually found him.)

"Where are you?!" Thor yelled, not noticing when his teammates noticed something on the ceiling, looking up.

"Maybe it's time to, oh, I don't know," Wade said, "go with the flow? Give in to peer pressure?" Thor finally noticed his friend staring at the ceiling, although ti was a bit too late- Deadpool had already disarmed him, holding two katanas against his neck to for the letter x.

"Unhand me!" Thor demanded, raising a hammer. Before he could strike, Deadpool sacked his hand with the back of the blade, knocking the hammer forcefully from Thor's grasp. It clanked loud as it bounced a few feet away, finally landing on Tony's foot. He screeched, pain inching it's way through his nerves.

"Yowza!" he cried, trying to pick up the hammer, but it was useless: only one worthy of Odin could lift the hammer, and Tony was far from receiving Odin's blessing, considering he didn't even know the guy. Thor went to reach for it, but he suddenly cried out with pain as Deadpool slashed his arm, preventing him from successfully getting a hold of it.

"Ah ah ah!" he teased as he felt something whiz by his head- a bullet. Using one katana, he removed it from Thor's neck to spin it in his fingers like a staff, deflecting the gunshots from Black Widow as Cap shielded himself and Banner from getting injured by using his shield- _the one made of adamantium, like Wolverine's claws,_ Deadpool thought as he eyes it lustily.

Throwing the gun away once it was out of bullets, Widow ran up to surprise him, pulling another from somewhere in her secret arsenal she carried at all times. To her dismay, before she could even pull it out, she found herself face to face with the inside of the barrel of a gun, courtesy of Wade as he kept his eye not eh shield, all while holding off Thor and herself. Tony was still trying to yank the hammer off his foot to no avail.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with guns?" Deadpool laughed somewhat manically as he suddenly pointed the thing at the ceiling, getting off Thor. Grateful that he was able to move, Thor was reunited with his hammer, much to Tony's delight, although he figured it was now a bad idea to go barefoot in his own home- his foot was red and slightly swollen from the pressure of the hammer itself, magical or not.

"Well, unfortunately for you, I never had a mother around to tell me what was right and wrong," Black Widow retorted. She squinted her eyes at him menacingly, somewhat confused- who was this guy?

"That's okay," Deadpool said, probably grinning if he didn't wear a mask, "I like 'em feisty!" She recoiled in disgust, "You are so immature! And at a time like this?!" Deadpool cackled as he nimbly avoided getting smashed by one of the Hulk's fists.

Tony watched as the man pranced around, swinging katana expertly, his aim with a gun almost envious, the way he avoided danger in the nick of time always surprising his enemies. He looked somewhat familiar too, although the costume had changed, along with his choice of weapons….

"Spider-Man?" Tony asked cautiously. Deadpool stopped dead in his tracks, still deflecting bullets from Hawkeye's gun (he had run out of arrows). The bullets dug into the wall, creating a constellation of stars in an artificial sky.

"Um, hello! Earth to Stark!" Deadpool shouted, "why would you confuse me with that web-slinging wannabe? I'm way cooler!" Tony was taken aback- if it wasn't Spider-Man, who then? And how had he known his name?

"H-how do you know my name?!" Tony exclaimed.

"Because," Deadpool said as if it were a valid reason, slicing Widow's gun in half, making it useless. The pieces clattered to the floor.

"Tony, we really should call for help!" Cap called. He was standing by the door, hand ready to press a button on the wall- the one he used to call on Fury. Of course, Fury was probably busy training some new slew of agents, too busy to help them with their meddlesome situation. Cap was about to press the button when there was a loud thunk, a sword wobbling as it met its target.

"Holy shit! You could have killed me!" Cap yelled at Deadpool, who laughed as he yanked his sword out of the panel of buttons, the buttons themselves now completely destroyed. Electricity sparked where the wires had been damaged.

"But you're already dead!" Deadpool pointed out, "and besides, I don't think Fury wants to be annoyed by a team he had assembled last year with me, hmmm?"

"There's no way-"

"Face it," Deadpool said, slipping his katanas into their sheaths, "this fight is done. Thanks for the training session!" Before he had a chance to take no more then a step, his body jerked at an awkward angle, a loud crack sounding as he crash to the floor at Cap's feet.

"Ow…." Deadpool moaned, receiving cringes from Cap, Hawkeye and Hulk. Thor had lost interest and was tending to his hammer, making sure there were no scratches on it, while Hawkeye was trying to put Widow's gun back together. But Widow? She had a wide stance as she panted, having thrown three lances at Deadpool, all of them meeting their target perfectly. He writhed in pain, already feeling the healing factor of his genetics kick in, although it was always a bit slow to start out, gradually getting faster as the item was removed.

"I think that was overkill, no?" Bruce asked as he transformed back into his old self, clothes ripped. Widow shook her head- nothing she did was ever overkill, always the right amount.

"Whoever he is, he was pretty annoying," Tony commented.

"Like you?" a voice said suddenly, making everyone jump as Wade Wilson stood, stretching his back, despite the fact that he had three lances biting into his flesh.

"That isn't possible…" Thor muttered, watching in amazement as Deadpool tested his arms, winging his katana as he did before.

"Nothing is impossible, my friend," Wade chuckled, "I mean, you're a god, aren't you?"

"But she stabbed you with three lances!" Banner shouted, "you should be dead- that crack, it must have severed your spine!"

"What? I don't have three lances in my back-" he began, then urned to look- he did in fact, have three lances in his back, all very deep, the last one almost all the way in the base of his spine- Tony shouted as he finally noticed the arrowed tip poking out from his diaphragm, "Oh, it looks like I do. Well, that's gonna leave a mark, isn't it? Oh wait- it's not! Ha ha ha!" Much to everyone's chagrin, he pulled them out one by one, a horrible squishing and sucking ensuing as he let them clatter to the floor, painted a fresh red color- _Blood_, Widow thought feeling instantly ready to hurl.

"What do you mean it's not?" Widow asked warily.

"I have a healing factor!" Deapool exclaimed with a laugh, "like Wolverine, although mine is way cooler then his. Wolverine is probably all, 'I wish I had Deadpool's healing factor bub!' Ha! Ha!"

"Deadpoo- oh, shit…." Tony realized, "Deadpool…..Deadpool… why does that name ring a bell?"

"Because I'm totally awesome!" Deadpool shouted as he shuffled backwards, towards the window. Sunlight pooled on the floor as it shone through the glass, Deadpool going to open the window.

"What are you doing?" Tony asked cautiously as Deadpool tugged it open, needing on the window-sill.

"What does it look like?" Deadpool questioned, "you know, for a smart guy, you can sure be dumb! Anyway, gotta go!" And he let his fingers slip, allowing the vast emptiness of the air to take him, let him plummet down to Earth….

Tony and the others fused to the window, expecting to see blood and guts painting the sidewalk, maybe some freaked out passerby, but there was nothing. Tony ran a hand through his hair, nervous, anxious about this man, this so-called Deadpool.

"Why does that name sound so familiar…?" he asked himself, shutting the window before anyone else fell out and miraculously disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

As he clung to the wall of Stark Tower, he immediately regretted not trying to at least grab the shield from Captain America. He jumped lightly to the ground, upsetting a stray cat's perch atop a garbage can as he landed in an alleyway.

_Loki is going to destroy me_, he thought as he ran around the corner, concealing himself in the shadows as he darted in and out of the crowds. He needed the shield. He needed the money. He needed to heal himself, to find a way to prevent himself from perishing- then again, the healing factor in his genetic code prevented him from dying, and he had relied on it so many times in the past, which was probably wasn't good for his skill as a mercenary, having to rely on his wit and quick thinking as well.

And Loki said he would be able to help. All he needed was the shield. Of course, being the loudmouth he was, he had only succeeded in destroying some furniture, maiming two people in the process. He looked around, trying to find where Loki said he wanted to meet up. To make the exchange. _But there is no exchange,_ Wade thought as he slunk along the wall, narrowly avoiding being grabbed by the sticky fingers of a toddler as he passed.

The brownstone looked about to crumble, the walls fixed with sticky cement that hadn't fully dried along with boards of plywood and bits of brick. He grimaced as he noticed a frail old woman sitting outside the door, her clothes ragged and fraying at the hems. Her nail were dirty and chipped, scars lining her arms, skin sagging on the bones. She pretty much looked dead, like he did although he hid his mangled mess of skin behind a costume. Turning away from the woman, he was about to walk inside when he felt a small hand curl around his ankle.

"Please…" she hacked, her teeth yellow and stumpy inside a lipless mouth, "can't you spare some money for a poor old woman?" Her eyes glistened with hope, as well as despair, knowing she was probably not going to get anything from anyone due to her social status. He paused for a moment, before realizing he had no money of his own.

"I'm sorry," he answered with reluctance, "I'm afraid I have none myself." She nodded her head in understanding. Nowadays everyone had no money, nothing to live on. Before he spoke with the pitiable woman anymore he ducked inside the building, into the safety of the shadows.

The inside was just as bad as the outside. There was a thick layer of dust on everything, more homeless people residing inside, some dressed in threadbare clothes, some in no clothes at all. A small lightbulb flickered as it hung on a chord attached to the ceiling, making everything dim and slightly more depressing then it already was. Moths fluttered through the air, shying away from the thin shaft of light that came in through narrow windows.

"Geez," he muttered, "where's Ty Pennington when you need him?" He chuckled at his own joke, although it didn't really help matters. A set of stairs stood a few feet away from the door where he entered and the steps creaked in protest under his weight, as if warning him o the danger that rested upstairs. But he already knew that. Deadpool had danced with the face of death many times before. Just to be safe, he withdrew his katana, even though he knew it would be useless against Loki's godly powers. Maybe he could have one more dance, for old time's sake, one more toe on the line. The stairs went quiet once he reached the top, the light the same dim bulb from the ground floor. Flies buzzed around it, their sound probably the loudest thing in the entryway, besides his heavy breathing as he approached a door on the left, the one Loki said to go to once he had the shield.

"Well," Wade mumbled to himself, "I guess he's in for a bit of a surprise then…." Sighing he tightened his grip on the katana, his hand shaking. Heading for a door that stood to his right, he pushed it open cautiously, poking his head in, scanning the room.

"Just get your insolent ass in here, Wad Winston Wilson," he heard the god sneer, the voice coming from the deepest shadows that lurked in the corner of the dingy room.

"H-hey!" Wade stammered, feeling uneasy. He hated when people used his full name- it sounded almost fake, with all the "W"'s in it.

"Put that blasted thing away," Loki ordered, "you know it won't help you while in my presence." Nodding, he slid the sword back into its sheath.

"Yeah, sorry about that-"

"Oh, shut up! I get so restless during these babblings made by you puny humans!"

"Okay, how about I pretend to be a mime instead? Would that suit you better?" Deadpool asked, somewhat joking as he pretended to be stuck in some sort of invisible box. Loki rolled his eyes- Deadpool could be so annoying at times, it was unbearable.

"Stop fooling around, you idiot!" he hissed at the mercernary, "just get to teh matter at hand!"

"Okay okay….." Deadpool agreed nervously, _I need a way to stall him,_ he thought, then snapping this fingers, "Hey! Have you ever thought of trying out a new outfit? I mean, the horn thing is working well, but what about something with wings, like Thor's helmet?"

"Don't speak of my folk brother in front of me!" Loki shouted, eyes glowing with a menacing fire.

"Yeah, yeah, sibling rivalry, whatever- hey, speaking of your brother-" he laughed- "a funny thing happened-" He shuddered as Loki stood up, withdrawing a spear from his clock. The staff was made of our gold, with intricate rings of blue and green. The tip curved into something like a blade, blue-green in color.

"Can we skip the pointless theatrics?" Loki asked, suddenly calm, unnerved. Wade felt himself sweat from under the mask.

"Uh, sure- straight to dessert then?" he joked nervously.

"Do you have the shield?" Loki asked, changing the subject, clearly done with his antics.

"Yeah, a funny thing-" he swallowed before continuing, his throat feeling suddenly dry, begging for water, "- I was actually there, you know, beating them all up, having a good time-"

"You don't have it, do you?" Loki said, a grim smile on his lips. He tapped the floor idly with the scepter, waiting for Deadpool to admit it.

"Wh-what are you saying?" he tried to brush off the eerie stare with laughter, "of-course…. of cou- yeah no, I don't have it. But I did get some training out of it. That's good, I suppose?"

"Wade, Wade, Wade," Loki muttered, "I was counting on you…."

"I know, I know, but-"

"Don't 'but' me, Wade," Loki said, "I counted on you to do one job. And what do I get? An annoying mercenary who talks back." Deadpool gulped- Loki had a point. His mouth often got him into trouble.

"Listen, though, i know where the tower is I can go back-"

"Don't think I don't know where the tower is, dammit!" Loki cried, waving the spear wildly in the air, "I know where the tower is! I know who resides there!"

"That's great! Good for you!" Deadpool congratulated him.

"Don't insult me, you idiot!" Loki shouted, "since you didn't get the shield, you won't be cured of this hideous mortal disease!" Deadpool widened his eyes. _If I don't get the adamantium into my system, my skin may as well fall off, leaving me a zombie… _Loki rested on the staff, leaning his chin on his hands, "Honestly, I don't know why I deal with you petty mortals and your insignificant needs… I mean, I have my own agenda."

"Of course, of course, with all your godly activities," Deadpool said nonchalantly, "but please, just let me try again- I can get it this time! I can!"

"Are you actually trying to persuade me?" Loki guffawed, "how pitiable, for you to think that I would consider giving you a second chance! You had your chance- you blew it, Wade Winston Wilson!" Raising his spear, the shadows danced, submerging half of his body in darkness, "I should kill you for failing to obtain it!"

"Yeah, I think my body is doing that for you, thank you very much!" Deadpool retorted, flinching as Loki lowered the spear, "please, spare me once more. I can get it- I know I can!" Loki glared at the man standing in front of him, a man who, while dying, was pleading with him to give him another shot. Loki looked at him, pondering this. _If he does obtain the shield, I may be able to use it to reinforce my own body, so my fool brother can't injure me… I may as well, since he's be my only hope of bringing down those stupid humans, bringing in my own army and taking over… _Reluctantly, Loki sighed, "I may as well give you this second chance of yours, considering you actually fight well for a human." Excited, he wrapped his arms around the god, hugging tightly as he picked him up off the floor a few inches, much to Loki's dismay. He hated humans, and the fact that one was touching him made him feel sick, disgusted. He pushed the mercenary away, straightening out his clothes.

"Alright, here's a rule," he said sternly to the happy Deadpool, "no hugging. No touching of any sort- you must stand at least a foot away from me at all times when we meet. Got it?" Deadpool nodded.

"Whatever, man- hey, I'll get that shield, you won't be sorry!" Deadpool shouted over chi shoulder as he went and ducked out of the room, a few seconds later peeking his head into the room. Loki balled is hands into fists- he really is annoying, he thought as Deadpool called, "Hey, guess what?"

"What is it you want now?" he said, irritated that he wasn't on his way to find the shield. He picked at a speck of dust that had fallen onto his clothes, the same dust that coated the entire room, giving it an eerie look, pipes creaking and groaning in the walls.

"You should keep the horns! It works for you!" Deadpool cackled as he then disappeared, his voice echoing, "You won't be sorry!" as he ran through the dirty halls, floorboards creaking under him. Loki sighed as the echo started to fade, until ti was completely silent. He watched as a cockroach scuttled out of the shadows, bumping into his booted foot.

"But," Loki said to himself, "I fear I already am."

Raising his foot, there was a satisfying crunch as he crushed the bug under his shoe with a satisfying crunch, an insignificant thing dying an insignificant death.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as Dadpool had disappeared out the window, the team was busy looking through any files Tony had in the tower, anything that would help them figure out who this guy was.

"Why does that name sound so familiar?" Tony muttered to himself as he looked through the files marked "D" for the fifteen ht imd within a few minutes, still not able to find anything. At the moment, Tony was having Jarvis and Pepper- his assistant and girlfriend- fix the wall as best they could, but he highly doubted they would be able to do anything- the guy had put bullets there, an he didn't know how deep they went. _Not only that_, he thought, closing the file cabinet, _he destroyed our only way to contact Fury in case we needed help. _

"Mr. Stark," Jarvis announced from the door, startling him.

"Jarvis! Don't do that!" he exclaimed, holding a hand against the piece of glowing metal in his chest "my heart almost came out of my chest!" Jarvis smirked.

"Of course, sir, sorry about that," Jarvis apologized, clasping his hands behind his back, "we found the bullets from Agent Romanoff's gun." He held them out for Tony to see, small bits of metal slightly chipped and scratched from the force it endured. Stalking over, Natasha swiped them from his gloved hand, "I'll take those, thank you very much!" Slipping them into her pocket, she said, "Oh, and we haven't found anything. At best, I sent Clint to contact Fury on his cell, see if we find anything there." Ton nodded, shooing Jarvis away to rejoin Pepper.

"Why would you need to contact Fury?" Tony asked.

"Well did you see how Deadpool was fighting?" Tony shrugged.

"It looked like martial arts of some sort, stylized sword fighting," Tony said, "so what?"

"So what?" she asked incredulously, "no one fights like that except Fury on certain occasions."

"Like when they run out of ammo, they stick to swords?" Cap interjected. A file was in his hand, the manila folder off-white in color. Widow nodded, "Yeah. He does that sometimes. Teaches all his agents if he really has to."

"Does that mean you and Clint know how to use a katana like that?" Cap asked. She nodded.

"Yeah. but we find it slightly off, so we use guns instead, as well as bows and arrows, you know the usual military stuff." She pointed to the file folder, "What is that?"

"A file that may just help us," Cap said, handing it to her. Flipping it open, there was only one sheet of paper, mostly blank, but wit a S.H.I.E.L.D logo stamped in the corner, "A file from S.H.I.E.L.D?" Cap nodded.

"Yeah. And it mentions Deadpool in it," Cap pointed to the line, tapping the name, "right there. Says he was trained by Fury at S.H.I.E.L.D. once he came to America."

"He's not American?" Tony asked, "Don't you have to be American in order to be trained by Fury?" Black Widow shook her head, red curls swaying slightly.

"No you don't," she answered, "all you need is citizenship- for example, I have an American citizenship that I received after coming in from Russia on Fury's orders."

"Okay, so where's he from?" Tony asked, whisking the file from the two of them, squinting at the blocky letters on the page, focusing on a small set of statistics printed towards the bottom:

_NAME: Wade Winston Wilson_

_OCCUPATION: Mercernary_

_BASE: Mobile_

_HEIGHT: 6 ft 2 in._

_WEIGHT: 210 lbs,_

_EYES: Brown_

_HAIR: None_

_NOTES: Escaped prison lab, considered a failure after experimentation. Stole teleportation device, arsenal of weapons, two katana swords from S.H.I.E.L.D. armory. Expert marksman, exceptional hand-to-hand combatant, highly skilled with swords. Special abilities unknown if any were obtained after the experiment. Deadpool was trained by Fury himself after coming to America- sent by Weapon X facilities in Canada._

"Canada?" Tony smirked, "isn't that where the moose live?" Natasha punched his arm.

"This is no time for jokes!" she said, "we were attacked by a possible former S.H.I.E.L.d agent."

"Okay, but this guy- where could he be? They say his base is mobile," Tony pointed out. _If they have a file on this guy, with all this information- do they have any on me? _he thought, then added, "Do they have this information on everyone who associates with them?"

She shook her head, "No, only agents and commanders, that type."

"So they have one on you and Clint?" Cap asked. Natasha nodded, "Yes, now can we please get back to the task at hand?" Nodding, they turned back to the file.

"It says he was put in a prison lab, considered a failure after an experiment," Cap read, "could that mean anything? I mean later on it says they don't know if he spawned any special abilities." Natasha shook her head.

"No, he definitely has special abilities," she said, "remember? He said he had a healing factor, like Wolverine. That must be true because he survived the attack with the three spears-"

"Lances," Tony corrected her, "if you're gonna use the name of a weapon, us the correct term."

"I passed English, thank you very much!" she snapped, "so if they placed him in the lab as a failure, that means this ability wasn't latent at the very beginning-

"Which is probably what they wanted," they heard Banner as he entered, "and since it didn't happen, they placed him in the prison lab to rot." Natasha nodded, waving him over to look at it. Peering through his glasses, he said, "it says in his statistics that he has no hair- was he sick?"

"It doesn't necessarily mean someone is sick," Cap suggested, "it could be that his hair fell out, he just didn't have the right genetic code to grow any…" Bruce shook his head. There had to be a reason that he had no hair. Maybe it was connected to the experiment, why he was sent by the facilities in Canada in the first place.

"If he was sick, maybe they were unable to cure him," he suggested with a heavy sigh, rubbing his eyes. Doctor Banner was slightly tired from the whole ordeal earlier- when the other guy decided to come for a visit.

"In Canada?" Tony asked, not quite sure what he was getting at. Bruce nodded.

"Yeah, if the Weapon X facilities in Canada were unable to cure him of some sort of sickness- most likely caused by cancer, if he has no hair- then they probably sent him here to be tested on, but it didn't work. He has Wolverine's healing ability, right?"

"Yeah, he said so himself, extremely arrogantly, i might add," Natasha said, "what of it?"

"Wolverine- or Logan, as he's known to his peers- has adamantium in his skeleton- his bones, are made of the substance. This makes him super-strong, able to heal himself of any wound."

"Does that mean he has the same thing?" Cap asked. Bruce nodded.

"In order to save him of this sickness-"

"You can't assume it's cancer," Tony said, "I mean, it is an option, but Logan didn't have cancer when they experimented on him."

"I'm going to assume wit's cancer because of it's healing factor gained after it is injected int eh body," Bruce explained, "and besides, Logan was a volunteer, not wanting to o back to war, remember? Anyway, if he has cancer, then they were probably trying to recreate the adamantium skeleton for him, along with the healing factors that come with it."

"Well, it worked, so why not just let him free, find a nice home?" Cap asked.

"Something must have gone wrong, some sort of disfiguring they didn't want anyone to see," Bruce said. Rubbing his eyes, he yawned loudly.

"Tired?" Natasha asked. Bruce nodded.

"Yes," he said, "my body is not what it once once- even more so once he comes out. Anyway, they were probably trying to hide it, so he escaped, not wanting to be left to die." _If he has the same adamantium skeleton as Wolverine, then why did he come here?_ Natasha thought, then it clicked.

"Oh my god…." she mumbled, eyes widening.

"What?" Tony asked.

"If the adamantium is in his skeleton and he has this healing ability, why come here and attack us?" she asked, testing them.

"Training session?" Tony answered.

"No- if he was put in there as a failure, then the cancer- if he has any- might come back, posing a possible threat to his life. Thus, he needs more in order to cure it!"

"Where would he get more to do so then?" Cap asked. Natasha rolled her eyes- she couldn't believe how slow men could be sometimes- it was so simple too, she was surprised she didn't figure it out herself right away.

"What's here that is made of adamantium?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"My shield…." Cap said, realization flooding his face, "he wants the shield. He wants the sheild to cure himself…." Natasha nodded. Bruce rubbed his eyes again- he was exceptionally tired.

"Well, now that we're done playing Sherlock Holmes, I'll go back to sleep, see if I feel better later," he said, walking away as the other three ran into the living room as Jarvis and Pepper were working.

"Mr. Stark?" Jarvis asked, stopping the three in their tracks, "where are you going?"

"Getting ready to go out," he answered, "but I have no time to explain so you two hold down the fort while Natasha, Clint, Thor, Cap and I go find Fury."

"What about Doctor Banner?" Pepper asked, holding a hammer limply at her side, her clothes covered in dust.

"He's not in the best mood today, so he'll be here with you guys," Tony said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, running off to get his suit.

As soon as they were armed, they climbed into a helicopter Tony kept on the roof- a gift from the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Right away, Natasha calmed the driver's seat, making everyone else sit in the back.

"Do you know the coordinates?" Tony asked as he plopped himself next to Thor.

"Did you really just ask me that question?" Natasha scoffed as she lifted off, the blades almost drowning out her voice as they sliced through the air.


	4. Chapter 4

Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Deadpool lurked around, hoping the agents wouldn't see him- because he'd be in a load of trouble if they did. Already, he felt himself weakening: he had to get the adamantium and fast, meaning he'd have to do anything he could in order to obtain the shield, to please Loki and live another day. Carefully, he watched everyone mill about, shrinking back as Fury and Agent Coulson walked by.

"Sargent Fury, sir," Couldson was saying, "I think we have a problem in the prison lab." Fury stomped his foot, making Wade jump- the two men were standing only two feet away from where he was hiding.

"Are you kidding me?!" Fury yelled, "I have to deal with this again? Last time we had a problem, one of them escaped, stealing a bunch of high class weaponry in the process!" Deadpool laughed silently to himself, remembering how he and infiltrated the arsenal of weapons.

"I know, sir, but-" Agent Coulson began, stopping short once Fury glared at him.

"Agent Coulson, go take care of it, I have important matters to attend to," he ordered, and Coulson stalked off, footsteps echoing in the cavernous chamber. Wade couldn't help but chuckle to himself, _if he only knew I came back_, he thought, feeling a grin tug at the corners of his mangled mouth. He didn't take action just yet though- Fury was still only a foot away, easily able to spot him. Quietly, Deadpool stood to his full height, easily dwarfing the man. As smooth as a rolling wave, he began creeping up the wall, putting a finger to his lips as other agents started to notice him.

"Sargent Fury-" a woman said, shaking his shoulder. Deadpool glared at her from behind his mask, hoping the looked as menacing as possible. To his delight, Fury waved her away.

"Agent Hill, can't you see I'm a busy man?" he said, annoyed that she kept pointing to the ceiling as if there was something there. _But there is something there_, Deadpool thought, _me_!

But Fury, sir," Agent Hill said, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear, "sir who- or what is that?!" This time, Fury did follow the direction of her finger, Deadpool laughing out loud as he watched Fury's eyes- or eye, in his case- widen in shock.

"Who is that?!" he shouted, bursting with panic, "we have a code red! We've been infiltrated! Quick!" Deadpool let himself smile- even if he was dying, he had to admit, it felt great to see S.H.I.E.L.D. in such a sudden state, with people running around, papers starting to fly everywhere- someone actually threw their steaming hot coffee at another, burning their face severely. Dropping down, Deadpool withdrew his katana, deflecting a rain of bullets before his feet were even able to hit the ground.

"Really, now, is that how you treat an old friend?" he asked, a slight whine to his voice as sliced through an agent's hands. The man fell, screaming as he watched a red sea pour from the stumps, the appendages lying on the floor in front of him. Blood trailing behind him, Deadpool laughed as two agents took him away, wrapping whatever cloth they could find around the stumps.

"That will teach you not to get grabby!" Deadpool spat at them, then cracked his neck, "Much better. Now, where were we?"

"I think you were about to get out!" Agent Hill shouted, pulling her gun out of its holster, but before she could fire, there was a shiny, a flash of metal and a katana wobbled as it stuck out of the barrel.

"I asked The Black widow, and I'll ask you: didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with guns?" he teased, tilting his head as he yanked the katana from the gun, "Now, Fury-"

"Who the fuck are you?!" Fury shouted, backing away.

"Don't you recognize me?" Deadpool asked innocently, "Don't you remember the sound of my voice?"

"Should I?" Fury asked warily, eyeing the katana i the man's hand- he already lost an eye to war, he really didn't feel like losing his hands. Wade rolled his eyes under the mask- Fury could be so thick-headed.

"Maybe this will help you remember…" he said, reaching for the back of the hooded mask, grabbing the end with his fingers.

"What are you doing?" Fury asked, "what the fuck-"

"Sir! Should we call for back-up?" Agent hill ordered, raising her gun at Deadpool.

"Please, just put it away, Agent Hill," Deadpool scoffed, "it won't work on me."

"Who are you and what are you doing?" Fury asked, Ignoring his statement. Deadpool started to peel off the mask, cool air hitting the mangled skin and flesh on his body.

"Recognize me now, Fury?" Deadpool sneered, grinning like a chesire cat. A collective gasp grew from the crowd, people running, on phones. Shaking, Agent Hill held her stance, gun pointing straight at him.

"Oh my god…." Fury said, yanking Agent Hill by the arm and running, "Code red! We have a code red!" Deadpool sighed, pulling his mask back on- he had started shaking, _I need the adamantium soon,_ he thought as he followed, seining his katana to deflect a shower of bullets. Fury, a look of complete horror….or was it terror?- on his face flipped open a glass ace on the wall, banging the large red button with his fist, a alarm blaring, red lights sweeping the area.

"There was no need for that, Fury," Wade said, sheathing his sword.

"What is it you want, Deadpool?" Fury demanded, his voice shaking, but cold and tense.

Oh, drop the tough guy act," Deadpool laughed, "can't you ever call me by my name?"

"You already have a name," Fury spat, "Deadpool." Wade shook his head, chuckling to himself.

"No, no, not that name," Deadpool grinned, even if they couldn't see it behind the mask, but Agent Hill's eyes widened at the sight of his narrowed, masked eyes. And he liked that she was scared. He liked that someone was standing against death and losing. Because that was all he ever did.

"What would that be then, Deadpool?" Fury inquired, standing his ground. In a rush of red and black, Agent Hill squeaked as he was suddenly a few inches away, leaning in close.

"You know it," he said, his voice a harsh whisper.

"Do I now?" Fury toyed with him, furrowing his brow. He jumped as Deadpool's fist connected with the wall, leaving a good dent.

"Say it!" he demanded through gritted teeth.

"No," Fury said simply, like a child refusing to take a nap.

"Say it, Fury," Deadpool repeated.

"I don't think I want to," fury exchanged a glance with Agent Hill, who was shaking, tears beginning to run down her face- she was dared, Deadpool realized, not only for herself but for this man's life.

"Sir, just say it," she pleaded, "please…. he might kill someone….."

"I don't think I have to take orders from you, Agent Hill," Fury said calmly.

"Right, sorry sir," she apologized, eyeing Deadpool warily, gun still in hand.

"Come on, Fury," Deadpool cooed, "for old time's sake, huh?"

"You know the answer, Wade," Fury said, his face stone cold. Delighted, Deadpool banged his fist against the wall once more, startling Agent Hill. The red light cast an eerie glow on their skin, on the already red colored costume.

"There we go!" he bellowed, tone menacing.

"Wait a second-" Agent Hill said, "Wade? As in Wade Wilson?" Fury nodded. Deadpool grinned at her, "Yes, dear, the one and only!"

"What is it you want, Wade?"

"Isn't it obvious? I want the adamantium," Wade answered, narrowing his eyes at the man.

"Why would you need that? We already laced it into your bone structure, cured your cancer on the side as well!"

"I know, I know," Wade sighed, "and don't think I'm not grateful for that-"

"Then why are you attacking us?!" Agent Hill blurted, cowering besides Fury when he glared at her.

"I'm merely paying a visit," Deadpool hissed at her, "for old time's sake."

"Answer the question," Fury commanded, putting a protective arm around Agent Hill as she tugged to unlock the safety on the gun, so she could aim it at this psycho's head, blast his brains out.

"You want my answer? Here's my answer," Deadpool cleared his throat, "but first, tell your little groupies to put away their fancy toys, 'kay?" Without noticing it, countless people had gathered a large crowd, an arsenal of guns aimed straight at Deadpool, ready to destroy him even further then he already was.

"Answer the question first."

"No. Tell them to put away their guns."

"Answer the qu-"

"Fine!" Deadpool interrupted him, "fine! You want to know why i want the adamantium so badly? It's back."

"What's back?" Agent Hill asked.

"Do you need to ask that?" Wade implored, "I mean, it should be obvious, no?"

"Oh…. she mumbled,"the cancer….?"

"Yes! Yes, I am a crippled man, my body wants to kill me and the only way to stop it is if I get more of the adamantium, more of a sweet breath of fresh air! More life!"

"We put you in the lab as a failure- the cure didn't work!" Agent Hill shouted, regaining her confidence.

"That's where you're wrong," Wade corrected, "the cure did work- but left my skin a mangled mess, an abomination! You put me in there because you all felt I was a poor excuse for a human being! Well you're no better!"

"If you think we're no better, then why did you escape? Come back?"

"So that I could live the life I was about to be denied! Shunned from all existence!" Wade screeched, pulling out a gun from a hidden pouch on his leg, a red dot appearing on Fury's forehead, "and if I don't get the adamantium in my system soon, I'll blow your brains out, decorate the place with your blood and guts. Got that?"

"You're insane!" Agent Hill accused, aiming her weapon.

"Did you just realize that?" Deadpool grimaced. Jutting his chin towards the lab, he ordered, "Give me the biggest canister you have. Or else." Hesitantly, Agent Hill scurried away, much to Fury's surprise- she had been so brave to stand by him just a few minutes ago.

"Or else what?" Fury asked, glancing up at the red laser dot that graced his forehead.

"I think you know," Deadpool grinned, pushing Fury back so hard he almost tripped over his own feet, "now go. I don't like to be kept waiting." He then shivered, remembering how Loki threatened to kill him if he didn't get the shield, thinking, _and neither does he._

A few minutes later, Wade had Fury filling a canister with liquified adamantium- very rare, since the metal alloy's properties were unknown to anyone on the planet. Fury eyes the gun, slamming the canister shut.

"Why did you not tell us the cure worked?" Fury asked, Deadpool snathcing the canister roughly from his hands, hugging it protectively under his arm.

"I didn't want you to poke and prod me anymore," Deadpool answered stiffly, "the way I was treated was motive enough to escape." Fury nodded- it was understandable, his reasons, but it didn't give him the right to waltz in, injure innocent civilians just to rid himself of cancer. _Still,_ Fury thought, _he wouldn't have the audacity to do this by himself. Someone must be helping him, manipulating him to do what it is he's doing, no matter the level of insanity… _With the adamantium in hand, Deadpool almost pranced to the window, jumping out. Once Fury was sure he was gone, he took out his cellphone, clicking one button: Tony Stark on speed-dial.

"Mr. Stark, Fury said, "I need the Avengers to come in. Immediately." To his annoyance, there was a ringing not eh other end- was someone else calling him? He pressed a button, Clint Barton's voice crackling through the receiver.

"Fury!" Hawkeye said, yelling over…. was it the sound of a helicopter? "We're on our way- get the landing pad ready!"


	5. Chapter 5

By the time the team was safe inside the headquarters, Deadpool was long gone, having jumped nimbly to what may have been called his death.

"He jumped out the window there," Fury said, pointing as agents began cleaning up the area, collecting various papers, putting chairs upright, that sort of thing.

"It seems he likes doing that," Thor commented, remembering how he had disappeared after climbing out of the one at Star Tower. Fury blinked, surprised- was it something he did often then?

"Did he take anything?" Black Widow asked, "because i looks like you have a lot of work to do here." Fury nodded, remembering how he had sliced off an agents hands…. he shivered. The man was now laying in the hospital wing of the headquarters, still in shock after the incident.

"Nothing but a canister of adamantium," he answered, pushing the thought of the hands away, "but that's it." Cap nodded, his grip tightening on his shield, "Why? What was it he wants?"

"To cure himself, as he probably told you," Cap answered for Widow as she opened her mouth, then closed it, "he came to the tower earlier to try and get my shield, ended up damaging property instead-"

"He injured a man today," Fury interjected, "sliced his hands clean off." Tony winced, a grimace coming over his face.

"Remind me to keep my hands in my pockets then," he muttered, looking around warily, thinking, _If he and the audacity to cut off an innocent man's hands, I wonder what he could have done to any of us, back at the tower? _Fury looked at each of them, squinting before realizing: someone was missing.

"Where, may i ask, is Doctor Banner?" he demanded, his voice suddenly getting cold, icy with power.

"Um, well, the other guy decided to come for a visit, and he gets puckered out after that, so he's taking a nice, well-deserved nap," Tony explained.

"If you want to call it that," Hawkeye added, although it wasn't much help to the situation.

"Why would the Hulk be present at such an early time of the day?"

"Well, your friend Deadpool decided he wanted the shield, so he attacked us this morning," Tony said. Thor was busy looking around, watching as the agents sluggishly cleaned up the place, not really getting anywhere.

"Wouldn't it be easier to use magic and clean up this place instead of using manual labor?" Thor asked, "I get tired just watching them."

"We will not be using any type of magic here today, thank you very much," Fury said, his tone flat, "bit going back to eh subject, he injured an innocent man."

"Was he armed?" Cap asked.

"All agents carry a gun on them just in case," Fury explained, "he didn't have time, due to shock to defend himself." Widow was astonished- it must have been a real surprise, then, if he wasn't able to draw his gun in time. _There has to be some reason he would injure an innocent man_, she thought, _what if he's being controlled? Baited with this cure or someone else's own means? _

"So he injured a man and stole how many canisters of adamantium?" she asked.

"Only one- he picked out the biggest one he could find, I'm afraid."

"The largest…?" she said, "he might not be trying to cure only himself then, someone else must be pushing him, if he's taking the largest one." Fury nodded- he had thought the same thing, because there was no way one man would use that much adamantium on himself and only himself.

"Agreed, but who would push him to the level of near insanity?" Hawkeye asked.

"He's already insane," Fury said, "but someone is trying to push him over the edge."

"And I think i know who it is," Thor said suddenly, the second thing he'd said in a while, his face grim as he watched the agents continue cleaning, how they would have to clean up his huge mess later, although they probably knew it as well, and they knew he would go at any length in order to achieve his goal.

"Who?" Fury asked, more like demanding, his voice gritty as he clenched his teeth.

"Loki," Thor said simply, "he might be using this… Deadpool to bring back some sort of army, make himself more powerful…."

"But why would it be Loki?" Tony asked, "the guy can't even find decent clothes to wear yet he's able to make some nefarious scheme to take over he world? I don't think so." Thor shot him a look.

"Even if you think Asgardian garb is…. questionable, it is plausible, since he did manage to bring an army once before." They nodded in agreement, remembering how Manhattan was almost destroyed at his hand.

"Okay, well, do you know where he is?" Fury asked. Thor shook his head.

"I obtain no knowledge of his whereabouts ever since then- I assume he is still in solitary confinement, but it is possible he may have often out."

"gotten out?!" Fury exclaimed, "you tell us this now of all times?"

"What? We were drinking, making merry long into the night- the guard had left his post to join in the dancing!" Fury rolled his eyes, rubbing his bald head.

"Whatever the circumstances, we should go find that lunatic before he goes looney on someone else!" Fury ordered, "Agent Hill!" Everyone jumped as she suddenly piped up, brushing hair out of her face as she handed a stack of boxes to another person in a similar uniform, "Yes sir!"

"God, it's creepy how you guys do that…" Captain America muttered as Fury told her to get them the biggest guns they had, then get the helicopter ready. They watched as she strutted away, yelling at multiple people to move it or they would be the next person to lose vital boy parts.

"Do they always do that? Follow every little thing you say, that is," Hawkeye asked, watching as they walked past with large guns and swords, running to load it into the helicopter. Fury shrugged.

"You once did," Fury muttered, shaking his head at how stupid his former agent could be. Widow laughed as they all went out to the copter, saying, "Wouldn't it be easier if we followed on foot? We might not be able to see them from the air." Fury shook his head.

"An aerial attack is best," Fury said, yelling as the blades of the chopper started to swing, slicing mercilessly through the air, "because then they won't see it coming!"

Soon they were up in the air, scanning the area over buildings, people pointing and yelling at oterhs that it was a news helicopter, not a bunch o secret agents on a mission. Fury grinned, saluting a little boy who stared up at the chopper in awe, thinking, _If only they knew._


	6. Chapter 6

Deadpool ran as fast as he could, not even bothering to at least acknowledge the old woman who sat in front of the brownstone. What good was it to waste time anyway? Loki was waiting for him, and Loki, of all people, did not like to be kept waiting.

Waving away particles of dust, he bounded up the stairs, being careful not to drop the absurdly large canister in his hands- there would be no point in coming back only to present him nothing for the second time.

"Well?" Loki asked as the door creaked open and Wade entered, the god still half-obscured by shadows. The horns of his gold helmet gleamed as a thin shaft of light caught the tips, coming in from the far window on the other side of the room. Proud he held out the silver canister, hearing the liquid adamantium slosh inside.

"I got it!" Deadpool exclaimed happily, shoving it in Loki's hands. Loki shivered slightly- the metal canister was cold through the fabric of his gloves, tingling the skin underneath.

"What?" he asked, holding it away from his body, "is this?" Deadpool cocked his head, confused.

"It's the adamantium, the stuff you wanted, to cure me…" Deadpool began explaining.

"No, this is a liquified version of it- I can't use this, you stupid mortal!" Loki shouted, raising the canister above his head, and with a flick of his wrist tossed the canister at Deadpool.

"Wait-!" Deadpool cried, ducking just as the canister was about to connect with his skull, possibly crack it and damage it eve more then it already was- of course, Loki might have done that anyway, his anger precedes that of any storm or disease. _Did I really fail again?_ Deadpool thought forlornly as he got up, wiping dust off his legs.

"But I got you what you wanted!" Deadpool protested, "I got you adamantium!" Loki shook his head, rubbing his finger against the cool metal of his spear.

"No, Wade, you let me down again," Loki sighed heavily.

"But-"

"Listen, you little runt," Loki said, suddenly gnashing his teeth. He should never have trusted a mortal to do this job, he realized. Often when a job needs doing, t was best to do it alone, or not at all. because if you ever invite someone to join you, it turns into this, "You said you would do anything to get the shield, and I don't see a shield in your hands."

"But why does it have to be a shield?" Deadpool asked, "if we have adamantium by itself, surely we could cure the cancer-"

Loki rolled his eyes, "Wow, you mortals, so pathetic…." Deadpool jumped as Loki pointed the spear at him, prodding the tip of it against his chest, "why do you need to be cured so badly of this cancer? Hmmmm?" _So I can live another day_, Deadpool thought, nervous about saying it out loud, _so I could live the way I want, without being denied my rights as a person, as a human being like i was so many years ago. _

"You said-"

"What i say and what I want are two completely different things," Loki snarled, "if I say I need adamantium, I mean I want the shield. I thought you learned that by now, no?" Deadpool stared at the god- why would he say he wanted adamantium in the fist place, if he didn't truly want it to begin with?

"Does that mean I have to go out and try again?" Deadpool asked, a nervous tic in his voice.

"Must i see to it that you get an answer for that?" Loki asked exasperated. Deadpool could be such a handful, stating the obvious, Loki had no idea how a man like this could survive if he was so utterly annoying every minute. Noticing he was still standing there, he asked, "Why are you still here?"

"Well, I-"

"Go!" Loki ordered, pointing to the door, "I don't know what it is you want now and I don't care! And i don't pay you to stand around and stare at me!" Deadpool shrugged, hoisting the canister over his shoulder.

"First of all, you don't pay me anything," Deadpool pointed out, "and second, can I keep this anyway?" Without so much as a second glance, Loki disappeared into the shadows, saying, "Fine, fine, waterer. Just get me that shield- or else!" His voice echoed as Deadpool ran from the room, taking the steps two at a time, Loki's snarl ringing in his ears as he thought, _Or else what? _Deadpool gulped, fearing he already knew the answer to that question. The floorboards creaked as he ran, reaching for the door of the first floor that lead out into the open world, a world in which he could make a name, create a new life for himself. _In a way_, he thought, _I already have, haven't I? _ Once his fingers closed around the knob, there was a sudden rumble, and he flailed his arms a little to regain his balance, trying his best to hold on to the canister, which was somewhat slippery. Sighing with relief, he stood still, knees bent slightly in case it happened again. _That was weird_, he thought as he went for the doorknob again, suddenly finding himself lying on the floor. There was a bang as the canister fell from his grasp, rolling a few feet away. He went to grab it, but pulled back as a foot stopped it in its tracks. He gulped- that was never a good sign.

"Deadpool," he heard a voice- Fury's voice, to e exact, "I think it's time of you to come with me." Inoring him, Deadpool pushed himself up, crawling for the canister, and he suddenly realized how weak he and become in those days without the adamantium. He knew he was weakening a little more each day, he just hadn't realized it until someone stopped him in his tracks. He hadn't realized how much of a toll the cancer took on his body- and now Wade Winston Wilson, known as the merciless mercenary Deadpool, felt that he was going to die at that very moment, regardless of what happened. Wade Winston wilson felt the last bit of strength, his last bit of will leave him as Fury hauled him up, eyeing the canister with guilt.

He should have used it, regardless of what Loki told him to do. _That bastard…_ he thought, remembering how the god had looked at him, how he probably thought he was worthless scum, and he should be allowing his body to waste away. The sound of the helicopter was drowned out by his thoughts, until Black Widow's voice broke through them, unfortunately ringing him back to reality: weak, sitting in a helicopter under the watchful eyes of the Avengers and nick Fury, the man who had started it all.

"Hey, buddy, she said, taking a seat next to him, "you know you're in like, a shitload of trouble, right?" Deadpool glared at her through his mask.

"What's it to you?" he mumbled, longing to take off the mask, show her how lucky she was that her body was not killing her from the inside out.

"Well, I see you're as arrogant as ever," she muttered, crossing her arms. She took a quick peek at the others- they were in the coxkpit, fighting about how to get back to headquarters.

"And when are you not?" Deadpool retorted. Natsha- that was black Widow's true name, although she didn't use it often- rolled her eyes at him, "Are you serious, Wade?" The canister was sitting in her lap, the adamantium inside swishing around.

"Serious about what?" he asked.

"About infiltrating headquarters? Escaping from the prison lab?" she elaborated, "listen, i have no idea what happened to you, since i was not an agent yet, but it couldn't have been that bad."

"trust me, it was," Deadpool assured.

"You sliced off a man's hands, Wade," she said flatly, almost bored.

"He tried attacking me!" he justified.

"Well, you came in swinging swords and shooting a gun, what else was he gonna do?" she exclaimed. He nodded, considering that his approach to the situation had not been the best. Of course, the situation with Loki was even worse.

"I needed it," he said, lowering his voice, "you know?"

"No," she said, shaking her head, "no, I don't know. So please enlighten me as to why you needed this canister of adamantium so much, okay?" He looked at her, confused. Was she willing to hear his reasons? Was she actually willing to listen to how this all started? Treat him as a normal person, despite the fact that she came from the same agency, even if that agency trained them to be top-notch killers? He sighed deeply, his chest filled with sorrow. She looked at him, waiting patiently to hear what he had to say.

"Well?" she asked, tapping her nails on the canister, "what's your story?" Looking at her one last time, he reached for the back of his head, where the mask disappeared into the costume. Slowly, carefully, he pulled it over his head, shivering slightly when a wave of fresh air hit the mangled mess on his skull. Natasha let out a small gasp as he pulled the mask off completely, revealing all his scars, folds of skin that hung off like rotting flesh on a zombie.

"Do you want to know now?" he asked, his eyes turning dull looking almost dead. Swallowing her queasiness, she nodded, "Yes," she said, "because i feel, you need to get this of our chest, okay? So go, tell me everything." She gulped, waiting patiently, uneasy that she was sitting next to a disfigured mercernary- at least she and the canasta rot use as a weapon in case he did anything.

"I'm originally from Canada," he started, "and when I was in Canada, I contracted cancer." Already, she felt her heart swell with pity.

"How old were you?" she asked gently.

"Twenty five, I think," he continued. Anyway, they sent me to facilities in Canada for this Weapon X program, then sent me here because they couldn't help me. Once I came here, I fell in love." Widow let a small grin dance on her face- everyone was in love at some point inter lives. Her relationships though, are never great, always ended up being that she was too snobby or distracted, too focused on work, according to a few ex-boyfriends here and there. She shook her head, shaking the feelings away, _I can't sit here feeling sorry for myself,_ she thought, _it's Wade's turn, and I said i would listen! _

"What was her name?"

"Vanessa," Deadpool answered, a melancholy smile tearing into his face, slightly sad, slightly happy as he remembered the young girl, genuinely interested in him, ready for anything.

"And what happened?" she asked, being careful not to press him to much.

"She was a prostitute when i first met her," he said, "it was my first time in America, I met hr on the street trying to get money from clients. When i met her, we had this connection, as she called it, we went on a few dates. She actually sobered up for a while, but went back to the pimp she was working for." Widow cast her eyes down, focusing on the smooth metal of the canister, how it never changed, no matter how you looked at it. _How come people can't be like that?_ she thought, then turned her attention back to him.

"Did you ever tell her you had cancer, Wade?" she asked. Deadpool shook his head, uneasy about how she called him by his first name, not by some alias. He had been called Deadpool of rso long, it felt almost strange to hear people say his name, as if he was in a foreign country.

"No. I didn't want her to think she had to stay with a lost cause like me," he answered, "so we broke up once she started using drugs, and I came to S.H.I.E.L.D. fury train dmd himself, said I was his best student in years. He even went to the trouble of curing my cancer for me, you know?" _Now he's getting somewhere_, she thought, focusing more on him as her thought had started to drift away again.

"Fury said he would have the scientists recreate the adamantium skeleton like they did with Wolverine, said they would give me the healing factor and invulnerability to go with it- the works. So they experimented, but unfortunately, the cure worked." She blinked- why was he seemingly sad about that?

"But it worked, you were cured-"

"The healing factor didn't show itself right away like they wanted it to," Deadpool cut her off, "and because of that they put me in the prison lab as a failure, leaving me to rot, denying me my right to live as a person!" His voice was rising with anger.

"So you escaped?" she asked, hoping he would continue. for a few seconds, there was no sound except the others fighting about directions (somewhat quieted down as Thor threatened to strike them with thunder if they didn't shut their yaps), and the sound of the helicopter blades swinging through the air. Deadpool had his hands clenched into fists, his body trembling slightly. He nodded, gulping down his anger, pushing it deep down, where it couldn't reach him._ It isn't time to get angry_, he thought, _here's someone idling to listen, and i should take that chance. _

"I did, taking a few weapons with me, as you already know from the files," he said. She nodded as he went on, "and now the cancer is back."

"It's wearing away? The adamantium?"

"Yes, and that's why i need more, to survive, stay alive," he explained.

"But it worked in wolverine- he's not dead yet, why are you de-"

"My genetic code is different from Wolverine's, dammit! Why can't anyone understand that not everyone has the same genetic code?!" Deadpool said, exasperated, tired. He could feel his body weakening again, the strength leaving him as he kept yelling, wasting energy that he might possibly need int he future.

"That explains a lot then, huh?" said a voice, and they jumped, turning to find Steve rogers- better known as Captain America- standing in the door of the cockpit, shield in hand as he spun it around.

"How long have you been standing there?" Deadpool asked, hurting to slip the mask back on, hide the atrocity that was passing for his face. Walking over, Captain America stopped him, pushing hs hand back down so it sat on the bench.

"The entire time," he said, "listen, if you had just called and told us-"

"It's not that easy," Deadpool interrupted. He felt uncomfortable with the fact that his mask was off for so long, that they were seeing his face longer then necessary.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not a superhero. I'm a mercenary, an assassin," Deadpool went on, "I don't get free rides like you superheroes, okay?"

"That's understandable," Cap said, then to Widow, "Natasha, why don't you go steer those boys in the right direction? Thor is threatening to blow up the copter again." With a nod, she pushed herself up, joining them in the cockpit. Cap took her seat, "so you need the adamantium to cure yourself?" Deadpool nodded, eyeing the canister Widow had out on the floor when she left, his eyes wandering to rest on the shield.

"My body…" he said, "it's weakening as we speak…" As soon as he said this, he felt his breath sharpen, come in long puffs. _Shit_, he thought, _I need it, I need it now!_

"Wade?" Cap asked, concern growing in his eyes as Deadpool began wheezing, "Wade, are you alright?" Deadpool gasped. Here there were two people willing to treat him like a human being and the only time it was happening was as he died. _Leave it to us humans to only care once something dramatic happens_, he thought with scorn as he felt Cap take him by the arms, support him as they sat together on the bench.

"The….the adamantium….i-I need…need it now…." wade said, his body lurching forward as if he was abut to vomit. Cap poked at his shield, " _No good_, he thought, _we won't get it to I'm in time if we use the shield_. He could hear Natasha yell at everyone for the millionth time to "Shut up or I will turn this plane around!" As Widow banked the plane, he felt something heavy roll over his feet. He looked down.

The canister. If I remember correctly, it has liquid adamantium inside of it, he thought as he picked it up, propping Wade against the wall to sit. The metal was cold as it touched his skin through the fabric of his costume while he held it between his legs as best he could.

"Hey, Fury!" he called, "is this canister able to be opened with bare hands?!"

"With your strength I don't see why not Captain!" Fury yelled back from the cockpit, not bothering to take a peek at what was happening back there. _Good_, he thought, grasping the lid as best he could with his fingers, since he couldn't get his entire hands around the top, _then this just might work… _Twisint it, he flung off the cap, letting it bang as it landed on the floor, rolling to the opposite wall. Thor stuck his head in, "What was that noise?"

"Why don't you help me, huh?' Cap asked as he tried to support wade, squeezing the canister between his thighs as he tried to hold on to it, to spill not a single drop. Hesitantly Thor ambled over, helping support Deadpool while Cap did his best to lift the canister, hold it up to Wade's lips. They were dry and cracked, his chest heaving as he begged for at least a sliver of breath.

"What are you going to do with this, Captain?" Thor asked as Cap balanced the canister on his leg.

"He's dying, Thor," Cap said, somewhat in a hurry, "we need to give him the adamantium Now."

"Dying?" Thor asked, "of what?"

"Cancer," Cap said simply, "hold his head for me, will you?" Carefully, Thor clasped his hands on either side of Deadpool's head, holding his mouth open.

"You mortals, with your petty diseases," he muttered with a grin, "if you were on Asgard, there would be no need for medicine or doctors. This man would be healthy all the time." Cap rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, eel, we aren't on Asgard, we're on Earth," Cap said, "now hold him steady while I have him drink it, okay? I don't ant this to get messier then it has to be." Nodding, Thor tightened his grip but only slightly. Wade looked fragile, being in the care of two large muscled men, and Cap realized that this man was fragile his entire life, that he never really had anyone to care for since he contracted the disease, except…..

"Vanessa," Cap suddenly said, "we need to find Vanessa. Quick, let's get this through his system, then try to locate her on the GPS, got it?" Tipping the canister, Thor watched as the silver liquid tumbled down the man's throat, his chest heaving rapidly as he gurgled and gargled, until the entire canister was empty, traveling through Wade's digestive system. Satisfied, he banged the canister dow not eh floor, alerting the attention of Tony.

"What's with all the banging, old timer?" he asked, then noticed Thor laying Wade down on the bench. He suddenly flew into the wall as Widow made a sharp turn, a shrill whistle going through the air.

"Sorry!" she clued back "we're almost there!"

"Whatever, anyway, what's up with Assassin's Creed here?" Tony asked, unnerved by the ghastly sight that was his skin.

"He's dying, Stark," Cap said, "that's the reason he stole the adamantium, why he wants the shield."

"So what did you do with the canister he stole?" Toy asked as Natasha yelled back at them that they were landing the helicopter.

"We fed him the liquified adamantium in the canister," Thor answered, "the man was literally dying in the Captain's arms." At this, Cap's memories flew back to World War Two, back to the world he knew, when people practiced how to hide safely from a bomb threat, when the food was rationed, when good men came home from war with missing limbs, or sometimes not at all._ Like Bucky_, he thought forlornly, _Wade is just like Bucky. He was a good man who went to war. Only that war was against himself, his inner demons_. Cap cast a sorrowful glance at Deadpool, a pity of a man living a poor excuse of a life.

"So, is he dead?" Tony asked as he lifted a limp hand from his body, letting it drop. There was no stirring, no signal that he was breathing. The life he had wanted so badly had escaped him once again. And he would never have another chance to relive what he had lost. Thor shrugged.

"I'm unsure, but it looks so," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. There was a jolt, and Hawkeye came ingot eh back announcing, "Our flight has just landed! All passengers gather your belongings and exit the helicopter accordingly!' Snapping at Deadpool, he said, "And wake him up, okay? I don't want to have to carry him in because the Prince didn't give Sleeping Beauty true love's first kiss and whatnot!" Instead of doing as he ordered, the three exchanged nervous looks- what was Fury going to say when he finds his ex-agent dead? Hawkeye rolled his eyes.

"Do i have to do everything around here?' he muttered to himself as he walked over, shaking the man's shoulder, "Come on! Wakey wakey!" Instead of magically springing to life, Deadpool flopped uselessly in his spot, much to the nervous dismay of the others. Clint glanced at the others, then turned back to Deadpool, "Come on, man! We don't have all day!" Puling the body up by the arm, h was about to stomp off when he fell with a plop, Tony cringing as he heard a low squishing noise. Clint stopped in his tracks.

"Did he just 'plop'?" Hawkeye asked nervously, turning his head to see.

"Seems like it," Tony said, scratching his cheek. The body was lying on the floor, arm lifted slightly where Clint held on to it. With a squeal, he threw the arm down to its owner.

"Disgusting!" he shouted, "is he dead?! OHMYGOD HE'S DEAD!" Tony rolled his eyes.

"Come on buddy, cut the theatrics- that's my job!" Tony said, placing a hand on Hawkeye's shoulder, "now we should bring the body back in before Fury gets suspicious- we've been in the copter a little too long, don't you think?"

"I think," came Fury's voice, making everyone jump, "that you all better get your asses of this helicopter and get inside headquarters now!"

"Holy-!" Tony exclaimed, making his way past Fury, down the ramp as the door opened again, "give me a heart attack why don't you?!"

"So, I understand he's dead now?" Fury kicked the body with the toe of his black combat boot, "correct?"

"How did you know?" Clint asked, although he only found out a few seconds ago himself.

"I don't know," Fry said, "it must have been someone screeching 'OHMYGOD HE'S DEAD!' at the top of his lungs like a lunatic!" Fury shot him a look, Hawkeye's face going red.

"What?" he mumbled nervously, "I was freaked out, you can't blame me for that…" Mumbling, he pushed past Thor and Cap, made his way down the ramp. They watched as he crossed the lot, disappearing into the large white building that served as S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

"I'll deal with him later," Fury sighed, rubbing his bald head furiously, "for now, I'll have you two take care of the body." Before they could protest, Fury and already started walking away, half-jogging as he got closer to the door. Cap looked at the god- they both could easily carry the body over their shoulder ike a sack of flour, no problem. The only thing was that neither wanted to touch a body, especially if it was disfigured beyond repair, like Deadpool's.

"Together then?" Thor asked with a shrug, grabbing the body by the armpits. Sighing, Cap reluctantly lifted the legs, grasping the ankles best he could.

"Together," he agreed and they began the long trek to headquarters, Deadpool in tow.


	7. Chapter 7

Loki waited outside S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, disguised expertly in a navy blue jumpsuit, the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo emblazoned on the right breast pocket. He was sitting outside with a group of people in similar uniforms, all waiting to be trained for life as a secret agent. Of course, they would start by doing small things, like toting coffee cups, filing paperwork, things like that. _And Wade Winston Wilson is going to be in a world of pain when I'm done with him_, Loki thought as he leaned against the wall. After sending him out, Loki waited in the dirty brownstone building for three days- longer then he expected to, or wanted to for that matter. So of course, in order o find the henchman and the adamantium he so desperately wanted, he figured he would try S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ first.

"Alright, troops!" A commanding voice boomed, making everyone else jump, "good morning!" A woman with her brown hair in a messy bun jogged over, clipboard in hand.

"Everyone single file," she ordered, her eyes scanning the clipboard. Bored, Loki took a spot in line next to a man with red hair, a gap between his teeth. does this guy even wash? Loki thought with disgust, watching as he picked his ear, flicking earwax off the floor. Two flies were buzzing around his head, as if he was covered in muck.

"Hey," the man said, jabbing Loki in the ribs, "ain't this exciting or what?!" There was a drawl to his voice, Loki recognized it as a texan accent. Shaking his head, Loki growled, "Don't touch me." The man- who was either not listening or had to much wax in his ears to hear jabbed him again.

"We ain't got anything like this back in Texas," he said. Loki gave him a pointed look, eyes flaring with annoyance.

"I said don't touch me, you redneck nuisance!" he said through clenched teeth, grabbing the man by the shirt. Come on, Loki, don't blow your cover! he thought suddenly as there was the clapping of hands, trying to get his attention.

"Hey rookie!"

Putting him down, Loki turned to see where the voice came from: Agent Hill, gripping the clipboard as if it were a life preserver and not a piece of wood.

"Yes?" he asked, glancing at the other trainees, who gave him wary looks.

"We don't start hand to hand combat training until next week," she explained, "and because of that i do not allow any of you to touch one another. At all. This is nice clean training. Got it?" Nodding, he looked at his feet, casting a sideways glance at the Texan, who gulped.

"He started it," he muttered.

"Well I don't care who started it!" Agent Hill barked, "This is not kindergarten- if you were expecting nap time, then go on home!" He shook his head, "Sorry, it won't happen again."

"Good," she said, "now, roll call! Anderson, Johnny!"

"Present!"

"Andy, Robin!

"Present!"

"Boon, Robert!"

"Present, Ma'am!" After nodding at large, beefy Robert Boon, a man in a suit strolled by, package under one arm. All eyes were on him as he stopped, waving hello to the new recruits.

"Agent Hill," he nodded a hello, "I see you already started." Agent hill nodded.

"Agent Coulson," she grinned, "is that Fury's package?" He nodded.

"Yeah, he wanted syringes and velcro straps for some weird reason…." Before acting a wary glance at the rookies, she said, "I'm not sure if we should talk about this in front of them, but is that package gonna be used on the escaped prisoner? From the lab?" Agent Coulson, a vein in his head throbbing, nodded.

"Yeah, i think so, but we can't be sure. Apparently Captain America- bless his soul- had tried saving the guy but he died on the helicopter ride here." Agent Hill nodded disapprovingly, patting his shoulder, "Alright, you should get going, okay? I don't want-"

"What escaped prisoner?" Loki piped up, giving her an inquiring look. Coulson quickly hurried away, Agent Hill clearing her throat.

"That is classified information, not something we tell rookies like you, kid," she said, then continued with roll call. Loki rolled his eyes with disdain.

Gardner, Lucy!" A woman with her blond hair cut in a bob raised her hand, nails perfectly manicured, colored a bright crimson red- _like Wade Winston Wilson's blood_, Loki thought, relishing in the thought of slicing the man open so he wouldn't get in the way anymore. Now that he was thinking about it, he should have killed the man once he layer eyes on him, so he would have the shield, not to have his plans thwarted by some red and black colored jester with fancy toys. He didn't pay attention as Agent Hill called a new name:

"Hiddleston, Tom?" she questioned, eyes scanning the line of rookies. He looked up warily, thinking, _What did she say again?_

_"_Hiddleston, Tom?" she repeated, her voice curt, "is there a Tom Hiddleston here?" Why did that name sound so familiar to him? _Hiddleston…. Hiddleston…. oh, right!_ he thought, remembering that was his alias, his secret identity.

"Present," he said cooly. Agent Hill scratched the paper with her pencil, narrowing her eyes at him. There was something awfully familiar about him- _had I seen him somewhere before?_ she thought, then shook it away. There was no way, all the rookies here had never met before this.

"Mr. Hidleston, I hope you won't cause any problems while your here," she said through gritted teeth. Loki feigned a look of surprise- _act the part, Loki, it's all in the acting_, he thought, saying, "Who, me? What gives you that idea?"

"Just making sure, since we have a lot of you," she said, then went on. A soon as "Willy, Dugan" had been called and accounted for, she strode to the front of the line, waving them in, "Follow me, noobs!" Dusting himself off, he followed the group of trainees, all of them running after Agent Hill. Loki rolled his eyes as they hung on to every word she said, every little action. Whether it was the wave of her hand, showing them how to hold a gun- heck, even if it was a fart- they would be dumbstruck with how amazing life as an agent was.

All around him were computers, file cabinets. Agents of all shapes and sizes ambled throughout eh cavernous area, on phones, showing each other tablets- heck, one of them was sitting at a desk, bandages wrapped around a set of stumps. _Geez_, Loki thought, _shaking his head, the things humans will do to each other. _Agent Hill waved to him, the man raised a stump in return.

"Hey, Bud," she said, "how're the studs doing today?" She jutted her chin at the bandages. His face began turning red, embarrassed about such an obscure injury- at least he could hide it in his pockets.

"Hey, Agent Hill," he said, "they're itchy, as always." Nodding, she patted his back, ushering them to follow her. They shuffled along, giving their condolences to Agent Bud as they passed. Once Bud gave him a sincere smile, Loki merely looked at him, his eyes filled with cold boredom, shaking his head.

"Ma'am," Robert Boon spoke up, looking back over his shoulder at Bud.

"Did you ask permission to speak?" Agent Hill snapped.

"Sorry. Permission to speak!"

"Granted. What is it?"

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened to Agent Bud?"

"Three days ago our institution was infiltrated," Agent Hill explained. Loki raised an eyebrow in question as she added, "By a man in a red and black costume."

"Deadpool!" Loki hissed, receiving a curious stare from Agent Hill.

"What did you say?" she asked, cocking her head. Feigning innocence, he answered quickly, "Oh, uh, nothing, nothing. Continue." Agent Hill gave him a glare, _He said something,_ she thought as he let his eyes dart around the room, _I know he did_. A sudden thought struck her: did this rookie, this Tom Hiddleston- did he know about the attack? She pushed it away as she began walking toward the lab, where Doctor Bruce Banner was working, much to his chagrin. He was still out of it ever since the first attack by Deadpool a few days ago.

"Morning, Agent Hill," he said with a heavy sigh, rubbing his tired eyes as the group entered the lab.

'Doctor Banner," she said, "feeling any better?" He shook his head.

"Unfortunately no, but it doesn't make it any better that Fury decided to team me up with Stark, you know?" Agent Hill nodded- Tony could be a bit of a handful, with his swelled up ego and obsession with building the perfect Iron Man suit. Loki eyed banner warily. Even if he didn't mention that blasted Stark, that would mean all of hem are here, Loki thought as Banner caught him staring. He looked away quickly, instead focusing on an operating table that was a few feet away, a white sheet covering whatever was laying on the silver metal.

"Oh, I heard about what happened to bud- did he really get his hands cut off by that guy?" he gestured to the thing under the sheet.

"Yeah, it was bad," she said, "blood everywhere, you know?" Hearing footsteps, she stunned as Tony Stark entered the lab, a corn dog in hand, "What's up, Doc?"

"Mr. Stark, Agent Hill is just showing the rookies the building, "Banner explained.

"Yes," she said, eyeing the table, "but-"

"Is that him?" Loki chimed in, eyeing the lumps under the white sheet, "under the sheet there?"

"Yes," Banner said, walking over to the table, "would you like to see?" Tony rushed to join him, chewing on a piece of the corn dog.

"Ooh, show and tell!" he joked, as Bruce took hold of the sheet, "Ready? It's a bit grotesque." The trainees nodded, eager to see the man who had the audacity to cross S.H.I.E.L.D.- _the man who crossed me, actually_, Loki thought, _and paid the ultimate price_. He deserved it though, since he hadn't gotten Loki what he wanted in the first place, and his body was killing him from the inside out anyway, so what did it matter to him that his dead body was lying on an examination table? With a whoosh, he pulled off the sheet, revealing the mangled skin on the body of Wade, who was presumably and utterly dead. Loki grimaced, a slight twitch in his eye as he looked at it.

"Excuse me while my lunch decides to come back for seconds," Tony gagged as he ran from the room, tossing the rest of his corn dog into the metal trash bin by the door. Obviously, he didn't make it to the bathroom because a few seconds later they heard a horrible retching, Tony waking back in wiping the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.

"Agent Hill?" Tony said, snapping his fingers for her attention. She was staring at the body, at the mangled skin that clung to the skull, hanging on for dear life.

"Yeah?" she said, once Tony snapped at her a second time. He pointed behind him, at the mess.

"One: Tell Fury we need a bottle of formaldehyde," Tony listed, "and a clean up in aisles three. 'Kay?" Agent Hill rolled her eyes- even if Tony was working here, the majority of things he did was demand, demand, demand! Loki rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to Wade's body.

"Doctor Banner!" one of the cadets raised their hand wildly in the air, "Doctor Banner!" Unsure of what to do, he pointed at the with a scalpel he had just picked up, "Uh…yes?"

"Who is it? On the tabs there?" the cadet asked.

"Um…." Banner trailed of as he cleared his throat, "this is the body of a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent turned mercenary- codename-"

"Deadpool, isn't it?" Loki cut in, jutting his him at the body. Agent Hill gave him a wary look before announcing, "Well, I'll go tell Fury what you need, how about you guys wait here with Mr. Stark and Doctor Banner? Good!" Banner exchanged a look with Tony as she left- how had a cadet known the name of Deadpool? Clearing his throat, Banner nodded.

"Yes, that's correct," he answered as he clutched his scalpel, pressing the tip gently against a flap of skin. I need to time this perfectly or I won't be able to get a good incision… he thought as Tony swiped at a screen that was projected on the wall of the lab, showing the skeletal, muscular and nerve systems in the body.

"So, this Deadpool," Loki began, eyeing the scalpel warily, although he knew he would be able to heal from something that couldn't inflict that big a wound, "why did he attack the headquarters?" Tony waved the question way before Bruce could answer.

"It's not info you need to cram into your little brain there, kid so don't worry," he said, then to Bruce, "so what are we doing with formaldehyde again?"

"We're using it to preserve certain body parts if they need further studying," Bruce answered, "go to his brain scans on the screen, will you?" With a sigh, Tony went an swiped the screen, the audience listening with rapt attention. Another rookie raised a hand, "Mr. Stark!"

"Yes dear?" he said, zooming in on the frontal lobe area of the image on the screen.

"What was his name?" the trainee asked.

"That is a good question," Tony said, "the name of this man was-

"Wade Winston Wilson," Loki answered, stopping Tony mid-sentence. Bruce snapped his head up, a nervous gleam in his eye.

"How did you-" he said, his voice almost a whisper.

"How did I know?" Loki smirked as Bruce nodded. Tony had stopped looking at the scan, focusing on Loki- something about him was eerily familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

"What's your name, kid?" Tony asked. Loki racked his brain, trying to remember his alias before answered calm, collected, "Tom Hiddleston, Mr. Stark, Doctor Banner."

"Okay, Tom, we'll have to ask you again- how did you know the guy's name? He was in S.H.I.E.L.D. way before any of you signed up." Loki laughed, looking at the ground.

"Your Agent Hill told me that earlier," he smirked, "but I know because i've been sending him on little errands…. if you want to call them that."

"Errands….?" Bruce muttered, his mind flashing back to when Deadpool attacked the tower…. then again at S.H.I.E.L.D., all for…

"Oh, shit," he said just as Loki had reached into the jumpsuit, pulling out a golden spear, sending a blast of lightning at Wade's body. Tony and Bruce screamed, ducking under the operation table as the cadets all ran for cover, pushing and kicking to get out of the lab first. Where a blue S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform was, it was replaced by traditional Asgardian garb, the clothes that identified him as Loki, God of Mischief and Evil. Tony and Bruce felt the table shake as Loki blasted it with his magic, the arms and legs flailing, head banging repeatedly against the metal table.

"Rise, Wade Winston Wilson," Loki cried as he pulled the spear back, "and finish the job you started!"

"Should we go up there?' Tony asked, hugging his knees.

"Are you crazy?!" Bruce hissed, a slight twitch in his eye.

"I don't know, but Deadpool is- and he might be considered certifiable in about a few seconds if we don't move!" Nodding, they scurried out from under the table, Bruce pulling his white lab coat up over his head to try and conceal his massive form as he waddled over to the door. Tony followed, doing the same with his Guns 'N Roses tee. Loki rolled his eyes.

"I can still see you you twits!" Loki snarled, then pointed his spear at the body on the examination table, which was now sitting up, back ramrod straight. It was an odd sight, seeing a mangled body like that. The two are at the door when they froze, turning to see where Loki was- next to the body.

"I know Wade wanted to start anew, but I don't think turning him into a zombie was his ideal," Tony said, then o Bruce, "Agreed?" Bruce nodded, eyes stony, cold.

"Yeah, sure," he said, feeling his fingers clench. Tony eye him uneasily- he knew that look, that stance. The flaring nostrils. The cold piercing eyes. The clenching fingers, crouched legs. He heard a crack and Tony whipped his head around to see Deadpool's body crack its knuckles, then its neck as it blinked its eyes, scary as they looked like they were popping out of their sockets, blinking with eyelids that were barely there. There were no eyebrows and eyelashes, just flesh, pieces of it clinging to his bones, exposing insides such as muscles and tissues. The somewhat zombified Deadpool jumped off the table, opening a mouth that was all teeth and gum, the lips having shrunk and falling off. Suddenly he felt as if he was going to gag- and that was not good, considering he was sitting next what was about to be a not so jolly green giant. But like all disgusting grotesque things, Tony could not pull his eyes away. It was like seeing a horrid car crash on the highway: even if you wanted to, you couldn't stop gawking as you passed. There was a low rumble and tony jumped: Bruce's skin had already stared taking on a green tinge, his arched back grown in size.

Looking at Bruce, then back at the body, he said, "Well, I'll leave you two alone, right? Bond over Daddy issues!" Nearly tripping over his feet he bolted, a loud angry roar ringing in his ears and then he knew he had to warn the others, tell them to find safety.


	8. Chapter 8

The Hulk had been unleashed. There was the deafening roar, the sound of an angry soul coming to life. Widow and Hawkeye were training when it happened, Hawkeye fixed with a new set of bows and arrows, Widow with her trusty pistol. Squinting one eye shut, she took aim at the dummy that sat across the room, a large target painted on its chest. There was a boom and the bullet sped forward, ready to meet its target when it suddenly veered to the left, digging itself into the wall as a rumble shook them, upsetting their balance.

"What was that?" she asked, leaning against the wall for support as she stood up. It came again, this time accompanied by a crash, the sound of glass breaking. Hawkeye was about to open his mouth when they heard footsteps echo down the corridor, an elongated shadows barreling towards them.

"Hide yo kids! Hide yo wife!" Tony' voice echoed throughout the corridor, leaking through the air vents. As Tony neared them, Hawkeye grabbed his arm, jerking him back as he went past.

"Dude, what are you going on about?" he asked, hitting a quiver full of arrows on his back. Panting, Tony managed to tell them everything. About the body. The cadets- especially the one who said his name was Tom Hiddleton. How he knew everything about the man, his name, his codename…

"Did he mention anything else?" Widow asked, shoving her pistol in its holster.

"He said he had sent Deadpool on some errands," Tony added, regaining his breath, "and that's when- shit!" there was a loud roar and another quake, sending Tony tumbling to the ground, followed by his teammates.

"That's when the Hulk appeared, isn't it?" Natasha asked painfully, muscles screaming as she stood up. Tony nodded, jumping up, "yeah, so I need you guys to go find all the wannabe secret agents while I go run and tell the others, okay? Thanks!" before they could protest, he was off, his voice heard throughout the building once again. Sweat dripped on his skin as he ran, nearly slipping as he saw a door, reaching for it, fingers barely able to close around the knob as he pushed it open, bursting into the room. Inside, Fury and Agent Coulson gave him confused stares.

"Quickly, get to safety!" he pleaded, pushing Fury and Coulson from the room.

"Safety from what?" Fury demanded. Before Tony could say anything, a loud screech ensued, quaking the area.

"That," he said. Turning, the two agents followed Tony down the hall, back toward Widow and Hawkeye, but when they got to the middle, where they were standing, no one was there.

"Mr. Stark-" Fury began furiously, then suddenly found himself lying on the ground, Deadpool holding a katana to the back of his neck. He jerked his shoulders this way and that, Wade's weight pressing him to the floor like an anchor. Tony froze, unsure if he should get help or not.

"I don't advise struggling, Fury," Deadpool said obnoxiously, "I mean, my fingers might slip and I might slice something important- like that nice jugular vein bulging out of your neck- ha-ha-haha!" Sweat began to bead Fury's head.

"Stark…." Fury said. Tony tugged nervously at the collar of his shirt, jumping as another f the Hulk's roars boasted through headquarters.

"Uh, yah?" he asked, eyeing the sword pressed against Fury's neck. Deadpool rolled his eyes, teasing, "what, are you German now?" Tony scoffed.

"What?! No!"

"Hey, Stark!" Fury barked, eyeing the man furiously- this was definitely not a time for jokes and Tony knew it.

"Sorry, Fury, sir," Tony apologized, "what is it?"

"Get fucking help or i will-"

"You'll what, Fury?" Wade hissed, "slice your neck open on my sword? Because I would love to see that…" He pressed the blade tighter against the man's neck.

"There will be no need for that, Wade Winston Wilson," said a voice, making wade freeze.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, hearing the god's footsteps. Wade new he was going to get it this time- he was wasting time, which was bad enough, and he still didn't have the adamantium, which was even worse. He knew Loki would kill him for sure this time, no ifs ands or butts… Wad laughed to himself, mumbling, "Ha ha ah ha! I thought 'butts'! Oh, I crack myself up sometimes!"

"Enough with your mumbling, you daft cad!" Loki shouted, gripping his spear. He was now in his full attire- a robe and jewels fit for a king- _no_, Loki thought,_ A god_. Wade was about to leap off Fury, and he hear tony gasp. As Deadpool stood up, he felt the tip of the spear press into the back of his neck, right where his brain connected to his spine.

"Now," Loki said, glaring at Tony, "do you have the adamantium? Or am I going to have to kill you in order to get it?"


End file.
